1. Access control & security

Understanding OrderCloud assignments

OrderCloud assignments create relationships between parties and objects within the system. These relationships enable critical functionality like granting user group access to specific categories.

Core assignment principles

The assignment system follows these fundamental principles:

  1. Relationship definition:

    • Connects parties with system objects
    • Enables access control
    • Defines operational boundaries

  2. Explicit declaration:

    • No default assignments
    • Access requires direct or inherited assignments
    • Users start with no access

  3. Multi-level configuration:

    • Company-level assignments
    • User group assignments
    • Individual assignments

  4. Configuration capabilities:

    • Additional relationship data
    • Feature-specific settings
    • Behavioral controls

  5. Hierarchical inheritance:

    • Assignments flow downward
    • Users inherit group permissions
    • Company permissions cascade

  6. Many-to-many relationships:

    • Multiple party assignments
    • Multiple resource assignments
    • Flexible connection structure

Assignment implementation

Explicit assignment model

New users have no inherent access:

  • Exist in isolation initially
  • Require explicit assignments
  • Access through direct or inherited assignments

Assignment levels

Available assignment scopes:

  • Company level:
    • Buyer organizations
    • Seller organizations
    • Supplier organizations
  • Group level:
    • User groups within companies
    • Department-specific assignments
    • Role-based assignments

Configuration options

Assignment properties enable additional controls:

  • Address assignments:
    • IsShipping flag
    • IsBilling flag
    • Usage permissions

Inheritance structure

Access determination process:

  1. Check direct assignments
  2. Evaluate group memberships
  3. Consider company assignments
  4. Combine all valid permissions

Relationship flexibility

The system supports:

  • Multiple resource assignments
  • Multiple party assignments
  • Bidirectional relationships

Example scenarios:

  • Users with multiple addresses
  • Addresses shared across users
  • Products in multiple categories

User perspective

While administrators manage assignment complexity, individual users experience:

  • Simplified access model
  • Unified resource view
  • Seamless permission integration

The Me resource provides:

  • Consolidated assignments
  • Flattened hierarchy view
  • Personalized access control
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